July 4, 2007

• Keep off the road

  This year was my license renewal year.  Of course I forgot, but I ended up going yesterday.  I had forgotten that the DMV was hell on earth.  I couldn't do the online safe driver thing, because I still had my old address on my license.  So I went to the local DMV. 

  It's not that I mind waiting in a facility that is packed in tighter than sardines, it's just that their waiting system was psychologically damaging. There was no rhyme or reason.  They would call A345, then X123, then D56.   You had no idea when or if you would be called.  You couldn't leave to go to the bathroom because your number could be called any second or hour, there was no way of knowing.

  And you really couldn't commiserate with the person next to you.  If you turned to talk and they turned to answer, you were practically making out.  Which would have been fine if the person next to me was cute, but I got stuck with a fat, mustache lady.  Wasn't interested in making out with her that's for sure.

  The only option was to stare at the giant picture of Jesse White, our Secretary of State.  I don't know what Jesse does exactly, but he should definitely change the number system. 

  There was a lady there who I later learned was 95.  Granted she looked good for 95, but she was 95 and this is a drivers license facility.  Those two things don't go, EVER.  Since I had nothing to do while I was waiting, I watched her take the eye test. 

  I am not exaggerating people, this took her twenty min.  She didn't understand peripheral, and the blinking lights.  She would read only part of line five, which I later learned during my own eye test, was because half of line five is so blurry, it's practically unreadable.

  As the woman was struggling with her eye test, the clerk wasn't paying much attention, it looked like she was in the process of approving the license even before the eye test was done.

  When it was my turn, I too had to take the eye test.  As I said, the end of line five was blurry, very blurry.  I had to strain to see the letters and guess.  I guess this doesn't matter to Jesse or the DMV, because she pushed me right through.

  Later they screwed up my address, so I ended up at the picture part with the 95 year old. 
  I smile and ask, "  Did you have to take a road test?"  This is where I learned she was 95, she drove a lot, and she has to take a yearly road test until she dies.  She has been taking one since she was 85. 

  This should have comforted me, but I witnessed her eye test and my own, and I have a feeling it's a hassle to NOT renew someones license, so they just push people through. 

  So we both got our licenses.  I still don't see well, I guess I have to take the initative and get my eyes checked by a real person.

  As far as the sweet 95 year old?  Watch out.

   

  

  Stay off the road.

  • 11:24 am
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